Happy Mother's Day, everyone, but especially to the three most important women in my life: my wife, Rachel, my mom, Lois, and my mother-in-law, Linda. Wish I could spend the day with all of you, but duty calls. The Nationals and Cubs are wrapping up their weekend series this afternoon, and players from both sides will be honoring their moms and supporting breast cancer awareness by using pink-colored equipment.

Gio Gonzalez is on the mound for the Nationals, trying to build off his outing from one week ago when he served up a leadoff home run and then loaded the bases, only to escape the jam and subsequently shut down the Pirates the rest of the afternoon. He's opposed by right-hander Scott Feldman, formerly of the Rangers.

Bryce Harper is back in the Nationals' lineup after missin g two days while recovering from the procedure to remove an ingrown toenail. He'll be in right field, with a new face in left field: Steve Lombardozzi. Lombo has yet to appear in the outfield this season, but he was out there yesterday morning and again this morning, working with Tony Tarasco on several things.

I am sure Lombo can live up to the defensive standard of Tyler Moore in left field, and he should strike out at least two times fewer. I am afraid I have joined those who believe Moore should be optioned to Syracuse.+1/2St.

One of the many great things about baseball is that there's almost always a game the day after. So we can leave yesterday's disaster behind and win this one, win the series, maybe even be tied for 1st place at the end of the day. Stras will have to wait until Thursday to atone for his meltdown, but Zim can get back on track today. And Gio — time to be a stopper and not put that burden on JZnn as you've been doing for most of this year.Pretty impressive attendance this weekend. Today should be even better — sunny day, Mother's Day, etc. Wish I could be out there.

Welcome back, Harper. Lombo in the 2-hole is better than Bernie. Too bad Corey Brown is still on the DL. He's the guy who is the best organizational fit for LF, both offensively and defensively.TyMo is the guy, not Harper, who is having a sophomore slump. He needs to play every day, but he will not be able to do that in DC. Davey is managing the lineup to give the team its best chance to win. Until Werth comes back, and Ryan starts to hit, Davey is going to have to scrape for runs wherever he can find them.The bench has had the biggest drop-off from last year of all the team's components, and injuries have depleted the organization's depth. They still have Rendon's bat, but choose not to use it. You should be able to find a place in the lineup for a guy who can hit like he can, especially when the guys in the bigs are not doing the job.

I foresee Zim with a good day 3 for 4 with a double. 3 assists on all good throws. Harper 2 for 4 with a BB. Ian will get a triple to complete a 2 day cycle.Gio 7 IP 2 ER 8 K 3 BB.Nats 8 Cubs 2.Giants 4 Braves 2.I believe we win all tge time.It is my problem, I expect 162 wins and now 146 is the most they can win now.

Rendon is 9 for 15 in his last 4 games in Harrisburg.The promotion to Syracuse (ostensibly with Rivero going to H'Burg) is when we'll know they think he is just about ready. That could come in June if he keeps improving.

Use the pink bat LaRoche you're still hitting like Larry Biitner with the lowest OBP in the lineup except for Lombo and his likely went up with that triple yesterday. If I were you I'd be trying anything at this point. You're hurting the team with the lack of XBH capability.

If Strasburg is having mental issues, the unbelievable media firestorm that would result from him being sent down to the minors would almost certainly not help with that.He's not going to the minors. If he does then Davey and Cat ought to be fired on the spot. Its their job to set these players up to be successful. And again, Zim is the FoF and ostensibly a leader on this team. His bat is potent when its healthy. If he is truly healthy he needs to unlimber that timber and stop acting like Larry Bittner II.

Agreed on Stras, peric. I've just seen some people saying that he needs some time in the minors to get his head right, and I think it would have the opposite effect.Hope Gio didn't hurt his leg on that play…

Today's starter is a righty, so it will be L, L, L at the top of the order. but if a lefty comes in for Span and Harper in the late inning, Lombo will switch. Good to see Ty-Mo get a day off against the righty. He's been struggling playing every day, and his OPS of .479 is lower than every non-pitcher other than fellow good squaders Tracy and Bernadina and 130 points lower than ALR's. Maybe he's a slow starter.

Back to the alternating left-right-left with Lombo who had the big hit yesterday. The problem with Lombo again is:1. He doesn't like to walk.2. He saves his big hits for PH appearances when he is in the lineupyou don't see the same contact hitter. He tries to be a home run hitter.3. He's really not the best defensively at any position other than 2nd base. He can be competent. This contrasts sharply with Kobernus.

My point about Zim. FORGET the damned glove and the errors! HIT the way you can goddamn it!!! And then watch the glove play come back. HIT!! That's why you are there! HIT! HIT! And HIT some more!! Don't you feel bad that your ex-teammate at UVa that everyone derided HAS 11 homers and 8 doubles already? And a great OPS and OBP? And a decent .283 average? And with Cleveland playing mostly first base but also third? C'mon Zim get going!

Peric. U gotta like Span bt now….I like him better he does look a lot like Curt Flood. Not as good, but then I doubt anyone will ever be that good again. So, I can see why Rizzo felt he fit his model. I still think he should bat second and not first. Why? Not because he isn't doing the job but because Werth really isn't … AT ALL. His best spot to help this club offensively and provide a spark is batting FIRST! And Harper should bat 4th behind Zim since 3rd is Zim's favorite slot. These veteran bats have got to get going! Right now they are boat anchors and albatrosses as the younger ex-prospects try to make up for the dearth of offense coming from them!And LaRoche is Larry Biitner when he first came up. NO XBH ability. But great savvy and the ability to get on base. I'll take it, BUT NOT batting in the heart of the lineup.

For those that prefer facts, LaRoche OBP .296, Espinosa .230.For THOSE WHO PREFER facts relative their actual REAL ROLES IN THE LINEUP?LaRoche ISO .113 lower than all starters except for Lombardozzi and Lombo iS NOT a run producer right?Espinosa currently has an ISO of .168?

Notice how when Lord Peric defends Espinosa, he's gone from talking power upside to avoiding any mention of offense. That's because Espinosa is too cocky and stubborn to ever change his approach. We'll be in for a lot of 2-0 pop ups with Espi trying to hit one over the scoreboard walk.

And the young man can flat grow a beard, so he has that going for him.Top 3 defensively at his position, no doubt. I definitely prefer him at 2b over anybody in the org even with his terrible plate discipline.

We'll be in for a lot of 2-0 pop ups with Espi trying to hit one over the scoreboard walk.Last I looked he's batting in front of the catcher … NOT in the #4 spot like LaRoche. Ans offensively HE IS still superior to LaRoche? LaRoche is ranked 27th out of 31 first baseman? At least he's ahead of Konerko and Dunn … still? And Espinosa is ranked 18th among 2nd baseman?Methinks y'all have something against Espinosa and the true facts. Which you seem stubbornly adamant about ignoring.

The Cubs actually have a pretty successful starting pitching staff this year, very good ERAs. It's the bullpen that's been their problem, so it's a little more concerning that the Nats can't him those guys. Hitting the bullpens hasn't been a strength this year….well. Neither has hitting in general, really, but still.

But the argument isn't ALR vs. Espi. You use ALR as a stalking horse to defend Espinosa, as if any criticism of Espinosa is made by people who defend ALR. I happen to think both are liabilities, but ALR at least has a track record of being able to adjust to the league. Espinosa does not.

davey takes Gio out after 85 pitches for offense (or non offense Tracy), Then Storen cant do his job.Davey the plan might of seemed good but everyone I was texting with wouldn't have done it. i guess that is why he gets paid the big bucks and we don't.

All I can say is they had better win this game. Man oh man, I could see that one coming a mile away.Let the starting pitchers pitch! Gio was absolutely ON today and he gets a no decision. BTW, that is another reason why pitcher W-L records mean nothing.

When a guy melts on the mound late it is magnified. When Danny grounds out with bases loaded or Lombo Ks with runner on third in the early innings we shrug it off. Bottom line is the hitting is just miserable on this team.

Drew's been a lot better lately, though. But yeah, I don't understand taking Gio out there at all. Yeah, okay, we needed more offense. But taking a guy mostly pitching like an ace out after 86 pitches for a pinch-hitter not performing well is poor strategy.

Soriano's been great, most of the time. The run this inning came on a poor throw caused by the ball bouncing off the batter's glove. That's just one of those freak things that happens in baseball sometimes.This game's still winnable. Our offense just needs to, well, do stuff.Hope Bernadina's okay.

The season not over, but when you have control and you remove the pitcher who is control and the others do not do tgeir job. To me it is a give away. i cant stand give aways. Had Gio stayed in and we loss that is not a give away.

Chalk this up to not scoring early when the Nats had the chance.And then add in Storens first pitch "get me over" fastball that got spanked to right for the lead off hit in the 8th and you kinda knew what was fixin to happen.Oh well….lets go Gigantes!